Movie review - "Capote" 2006 ***1/2

Much to admire here - a fascinating subject matter, some brilliant performances, beautiful photography and design, loving period re-creation, its all made with care and intelligent. I did admit,though, to getting a bit bored as it went on - scenes going on too long,lack of surprise or humour or something, I couldn't put my finger on it,but it definitely drags. Philip Seymour Hoffman's performance in the lead is excellent, though just as good is Catherine Keener - they're a fascinating contrast, Hoffman has so much to play with - a lisp, glasses, voice - compared to Keener (who's just normal), but Keener manages to be just as compelling..

TV show - "Battlestar Galactica - Take the Celestra" (1979) ***

Maybe this really deserves **1/2 but after a run of poor episodes I found this one really enjoyable. No more major logic problems and civilian government-bashing, instead just a good solid episode with a good idea: mutiny on the fleet. Commander Kronus, a task master on a spare parts vehicle, is a strong character, and the story works well. It is atmospheric, too, with the Celestra being cut off from the rest of the fleet - and Apollo, Starbuck and the gang being sent to their deaths in spooky outer space. Nice Starbuck-Cassiopea stuff, with Starbuck running into an old flame (Ana Alicia) and Cassiopea pointing out they have an open relationship. This episode has copped it on some fan sites but I really liked it.

TV show - "Battlestar Galactica - Experiment in Terra" (1979) **

My least favourite BG episode, despite having a promising title, mainly because it smashes on the logic rock and also partly taints the memory of 'War of the Gods'. Apollo is kidnapped by the Ship of Lights again, who, even though they say they can't intervene, get him to intervene on Terra to stop a war. OK so they can't help - but they put him in the body of a Terran solider and also offer lots of advice and then help Starbuck when he arrives. the Apollo-in-someone-else's-body (similar to that later found in Quantum Leap) is only really used for a few gags - they really may as well just had Apollo being Apollo for all the use it is (he could attract the necessary attention by rocking up in a viper). This episode is the third in the three-part Terra trilogy, in which the show promotes the message that "the military is always right". They partly make up for it here by having the sucky traitorous peace lover here be the Western Alliance president, while the war mongers are the Western Alliance parliament (this is a bit more believable that "Baltar's Escape", where all the Council of the Twelve were sucky traitorous peace lovers - but the actions of the president here are so silly they don't make sense). Still the military are shown to be the wise, loyal ones. The way its shown here is a bit less offensive than in the other two episodes. But so many unanswered questions: isn't Terra now at threat from the Cylons? Why don't the colonials stay there? They could run the place. Is earth going to be that much more better? I liked the slight creepieness of Terra, kind of like earth but not Earth, but the fact it was such a flourishing human colony made it too confusing. Edward Mulhare (as John) and the regulars invest their lines with commitment lacking in the story.

TV show - "Battlestar Galactica - Baltar's Escape" (1979) **

A potentially good episode - Baltar and various rogues on the prison barge, including the Eastern Alliance and the Borellian Noman, try to escape - ruined by some hideous fascist military ideology in the first half. The Council of the Twelve have the audacity to try and regain civilian control. Just so we know how evil they are, they try and get Adama to resign, have a council member look over Adama's shoulder while he does his job and counter-act his orders (and of course they're all wrong), and then the Council act cowardly when they are taken prisoner, and the Council security guards are uppity to warriors... ugh! It's awful stuff. A potentially rich, dramatically complex situation (civilian vs military) is turned into military = good, civilian = bad, which not only runs counter to what the Colonials are about, it doesn't strike true. I believed the peace loving Council of the Twelve in the first episode but not here - at least, not all of them. Why make all the Council idiots? they have been at war for a long time, there would be plenty of hawks arond the civilian population. Why not have some of the military go overboard? But no, they don't. The Eastern Alliance are shown to be especially inflexible - but they're not that different from how the Colonials are shown to operate. OK, on the postivie side, once the escape happens it picks up and the last half is quite exciting, especially once the pro-military stuff takes a back seat to the action. It's fun to see Baltar lead a rag-tag alliance of Colonial enemies (all of whom are refreshingly smart and none of whom trust him), and the ending really works. Sheba is shown giving Boomer a sort of neck massage in this scene - with her pining for Apollo and chasing after Count Iblis and now rubbing Boomer, I get the feeling Sheba was hungry for love! The female councillor (Ina Bolin) is established as an idiot and gets a chance to redeem herself and emerges as a strong character; Col Tigh also overrules Adama, in a satisfying scene.

Movie review - "Jersey Girl" (2002) **

Kevin Smith moves into Hollywood country with a big sappy film based on that old sappy chestnut, the sexy widowed father who is recovering the learning to love again. He has the stars to do it too, with Ben Affleck, Liv Tyler and J Lo, but he himself doesn't quite have the smarts to match the best of Hollywood sap. After a promising beginning the film begins to misfire. 

It's amazing how selfish everyone is in this film: Affleck attacks the doctors who are trying to help his dead wife (he actually lunges at them - now granted its an emotional time and may be what some people do but it makes him seem like a wanker), Affleck's father (George Carlin) dumps the baby on him when Affleck has a big meeting ("to be a better dad" - way to ruin my career dad), then when the kid grows up she refuses to move from Jersey because she's selfish, too. It just makes the characters harder to be around. 

I understand Affleck gets fired for telling everyone to get rooted - but would he really be consigned to years in oblivion working on construction sites? If he was a good publicist, and it seems he was, then wouldn't he be able to get another publicist-related job? His wife died - I think people would understand. Smith often referred to Jerry Maguire when making this film, but that film has a lot more verisimilitude than this one - Cameron Crowe really did his research. Doesn't work here. 

On the DVD Smith talks incessantly about how the film's box office was ruined by the Bennefier backlash - he can't be blamed for using that tactic, to help save his career, but the fact is his own script didn't work.

Movie review - "Brokeback Mountain" 2005 ***1/2

A film that hit the zeitgeist in the way that few others have in recent memory - Lost in Translation would be one, Pulp Fiction, Marty, etc. In addition to a strong central gimmick - gay cowboys - it has some stunning location photography, senstive handling and good acting. Heath Ledger seems to be nabbing a lot of the kudos, mainly I guess because he gets to be taciturn and tormented and has that scene with the shirt, but Jake Glyenhall is even better as the chattier and smarter cowboy (Ledger's character seems unable to live above the poverty line). But the film is stolen by Michelle Williams as the sad eyed wife of Ledger. Anne Hathaway is fine as Glyenhall's wife, though her variety of wigs is a little distracting. Moving at the end, but it did feel a bit long - did we need that whole subplot about Heath and the waitress? Could have easily been set in Australia.

TV show - "Battlestar Galactica - Greetings from Earth" (1979) **

The weakest of the two-part episodes, although it starts promisingly with the Galactica intercepting a ship carrying a family in a state of suspension. This is followed, however, by an unpleasant section where the Galactica's military officers (Adama, etc) who want to let the family be are off set against the Council of the twelve and the civilian police officers who want to open them - we are left in no doubt that the forces of military are in the right compared to those annoying civilian representatives, and this is extremely uncomfortable to watch. It also ruins the potential dramatic complexity of the arguments (because we soon are told which way we should think). 

The ship lands on a planet and the Galacticans get involved against a bunch of nasty humans, the Eastern Alliance, who dress up as Nazis and fly in a ship that looks like a WW2 submarine set. The Eastern Alliance are technologically very far behind the Galacticans, making them an unscary threat. 

Some good scenes among the deserted buildings and I didn't mind Hector and Vector, but not good. Some unintentional humour: another widowed mother cracks onto Apollo (making it three after "Saga of a Star World" and "The Young Warrior"), even to the point where she tries to sabotage his plane to get him to stay on the planet, and Apollo gets Cassiopea to slut it up to a man (Randy Mantooth, who comes across as a poor man's Richard Hatch) in order to make said widowed mum jealous - Cassiopea is right into it, leading one to suspect her and Starbuck might end up having to have an open relationship if it was to have any chance of success! Athena never appeared in any other episode - no real loss, she was a stunner but she couldn't act.

TV show - "Battlestar Galactica - Murder on the Rising Star" (1979) **

Dirk Benedict gets some more good opportunities here and takes them as Starbuck is accused of murder and Apollo has to save him. This is a sluggish episode, which moves along slowly until the end - but Apollo's actions at the end aren't really logical. John Colicos provides some amusement as Baltar.

We also see how strong Starbuck and Cassiopea's relationship has become - she mothers him a lot, which makes total sense: but they have a great relationship because he makes her laugh and they obviously have great (and frequent) sex. Poor Athena was never in the running, and she is totally marginalised by this stage.

Laurette Spang premiered her new short hair cut in this - didn't like it much, although she again is good as well. Brock Peters brings dignity to his role as the chief prosecutor.

TV show - "Battlestar Galactica - The Man with Nine Lives" (1979) **1/2

This episode kind of marks the turning point for the final stretch of Galactica - though you could also mark it with "War of the Gods". The Cyclons would until the end have little appearance, and the stories would deal more with inter-fleet stories. There would be a more up-beat feel, too, with Adama beginning the episode with a "it's looking promising that earth is near" feel. The story for his one revolves around a con man (Fred Astaire) who pretends to be Starbuck's father to escape from Borellian Nomen. The Borellian Nomen are a solid addition to the show, troublesome miserable types, like Yorkshiremen. Dirk Benedict is given a great chance here and he gives a particularly excellent performance in this show, being quite touching at times. Astaire is enjoyable reprising his old con man routine from It Takes a Thief and The Towering Inferno. A little slow in spots but a pretty good episode.

Book review - "Joseph Lyons" by Kate White

Not much is remembered about Joe Lyons today, even though he won three elections. If he is remembered at all it is for leaving the Labor Party to become PM, leading Australia out of the depression with policies that arguably (really we'll never know) cause the effects to linger longer than they should have, and for inadequately preparing Australia for WW2. He was an interesting guy, a genuine Tasmanian who was sent to work at the age of 9 but got enough schooling to become a school teacher. Put in hard yards in some really rustic settlements, gradually became involved in politics, joined the Labor Party and eventually became Premier of the state in the 1920s. He then got a Federal seat just in time to join Scullin's government, but clashed with Scullin and Red Ted Theodore over how to combat the Depression and ended up crossing the floor and forming the United Australia Party.

Lyons was enormously popular - a folksy looking thing from the wilds of Tassie, he resembled a koala, and had a giant asset in his wife Enid, who became a politician herself. He knew how to use the media and was an effective speaker. The public obviously felt as though they knew him - a simple guy with a wife and an enormous family. The United Australia Party wanted to keep him on even as he lost his grip because he was so effective at winning elections. How much of Lyons' act was an act how much was genuine? His actions around 1931-32 certainly indicate a person who had an eye for the main chance.

Lyons economic policies have been largely discredited (basically cutting spending and increasing saving) but it was what the people wanted. Lyons was a pacifist and anti-conscriptionist, which partly explains why Australia's defence preparations were so slack in the late 1930s. Lyons' big dream, which may have meant his government was more fondly remembered, was to introduce a national health and insurance scheme - but this was defeated. (Worth remembering that at this stage conservative parties had socialist ideas, too but lacked the muscle to push it through). Like a lot of leaders who are popular during their reign, though, didn't leave a lot behind - and the fact Australia was almost invaded a few years after doesn't really speak well of him. (At the end of the day, it are the big things that count)

He was an interesting chap and Kate White's bio does him justice. It has some flaws - no pictures or bibliography - but is eminently readable. (It is clear, though, she finds Enid a more engaging person than Joe).

TV show - "Battlestar Galactica - War of the Gods" (1978) ***1/2

Another superb BG two parter which, along with "The Living Legend" shows the series at its peak. This one is all Glenn A Larson, who wrote the intelligent, thought-provoking script. The Galactica come across two mysterious phenomenom: bright lights which seem to swallow up Galactica pilots, and the mysterious survivor of a spaceship crash (Patrick Macnee). There are plenty of twists and turns and it is always surprising - the series had tried to be mystical before, in "Lost Planet of the Gods" but not as successful as they did here. It is not perfect - some of the scenes are a bit patchy, both Dirk Benedict and Anne Hathaway overact at the end, the game of triad at times looks plain silly, a few plot holes (why kidnap the pilots? what's with Baltar and Iblis?) - but when it is good it is very good. The emotional stuff involving Apollo and his father is extremely strong, and the scenes involving Count Iblis (Macnee) have real dramatic power. Anne Hathaway's Sheba isn't really a tough warrior in this one - she gets totally sucked in by Iblis (making Apollo jealous - good dramatic stuff). Anne Hathaway joins the main credits in this episode. A really special piece of BG.

Movie review - "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back" (2001) **1/2

I was disappointed by this film when I saw it in the cinema, but enjoyed it a lot more when watching it again on DVD. I fall back after the gains made by Chasing Amy and Dogma, this nonetheless contains a number of funny moments, albeit a few too many gay jokes. The in-jokes aren't that annoying (they perhaps do the look to camera one time too many) - although Smith's four previous films all varied so wildly in tone that at times it sems like they are "crossing the streams" - the world of Chasing Amy doesn't seem to really co-exist with that of Mallrats. The bad girl gang is fun, as is the chase through the movie studio at the end.

Movie review - "Wag the Dog" (1998) ***1/2

Excellent satire which still works well. A presidential scandal threatens the president's re-election so fix-it man Robert de Niro (a nice unshowy performance) gets Hollywood producer (Dustin Hoffman) to invent a war with Albania. Hoffman is hilarious as the suntanned producer who refuses to panic - on film sets I have seen people intone his 'This is nothing' when confronted with a problem. The ending is unexpectedly touching. It does feel as though it needs another act. Some great lines, good performances all round.

TV show - "Battlestar Galactica - Fire in Space" (1978) ***

Good follow up the "The Living Legend" (all three episodes were combined for Mission Galatica: The Cylon Attack) which features pretty much non-stop action as Galactica is gripped by a fire. Boomer gets a chance to shine here, leading a group that include Athena and Boxey out of trouble; so too does Col Tigh (who has to take over when Adama is sick) and Muffit . Adama gets sick, the fire pounds away - you really feel everyone is in trouble (partly because the glass-is-half-empty Tigh is in charge). George Mudock has some good moments as the irascible doctor.

TV show - "Battlestar Galactica - The Living Legend"" (1978) ***1/2

Really excellent two-part episode of the TV series, among the finest they ever made (perhaps the best?). It starts with a strong premise - the discovery of another battlestar - and reinforces this with an excellent character in the Patton-like Commander Cain (well played by Lloyd Bridges) and new pilot Sheba (Anne Hathaway), some terrific dramatic situations (the arguments between Cain and Adama, Cain being Cassiopea's old flame, a near mutiny), lots of military strategy and action. Its good to see the Colonials arguing amongst themselves, gung-ho Cain vs more cautious Adama (and Adama isn't 100% right which makes it interesting dramatically), and all the inter-personal stuff involving Cain-Cassie-Starbuck and Sheba. Laurette Spang gets some really good opportunities in this episode and delivers. Sheba was an interesting character - set up as a top notch feisty pilot, she's soon revealed to be a bit of a neurotic blubbering wreck, always having a breakdown or crying!! Both characters are far stronger (and better acted) than poor old Athena. Also interesting to see a Cylon civilian city.

TV show - "Battlestar Galactica - The Young Lords" (1978) **1/2

Its Starbuck's turn to crash on a planet this time - a planet that has been overrun by Cylons, who have to fight off a bunch of guerilla kids. Well, they're supposed to be kids but the shapely Audrey Landers certainly looks grown up - and eager to learn more about life from Starbuck, which gives this episode some extra sting. A fun episode, with Cyclons stomping around a castle, a delightful character in Spectre (a crawling Cylon commander, who appeared in no further episodes but did appear in novels that weren't based on episodes), good work from Benedict and John Colicos (Baltar is no longer in a high chair, but a lower one). Main debit: the irritating character of Kyle (Charles Bloom), and the scene where Boxey hops into bed with a sick Adama and tells him a story.

TV show - "Battlestar Galactica - The Magnificent Warriors" (1978) **1/2

Fun, lighter-toned-than usual BG episode whose main attributes are a sense of humour throughout and Barry Nelson's excellent performance. The gang have to go down on a planet to pick up some food - Adama and Boxey come along, giving the story a "the gang's all here" feel. Adama is chased by the man eating Siress Bellaby (Brett Somers, in a brassy portrayl) and they have to deal with some savage locals. Nelson's is an interesting character, a total rogue who uses his rogue-ness for the good of his community. This episode has copped it a bit there out on the internet but I quite liked it.

TV show - "Battlestar Galatica - The Guns on Ice Planet Zero" (1978) ***

Really top notch two-part episode because of its strong story. OK they rip off Dirty Dozen and The Guns of Navarone but since they're both great movies who really cares? Baltar has forced the Galactica into the path of an ice planet with a big ray gun, so Apollo leads a team of demolitions experts (mostly convicts from convict ship) to blow it up. This episode has production values to die for - lots of snow and spaceships - it must have cost a fortune. Main debit - although there are a number of really rich, interesting characters and situations, because a lot of the action takes place on the ice planet the characters wear face masks or hoods and it is hard to see their face, so you miss a lot of the emotion (it's sometimes hard to tell who is who during the arguments - this is particularly a problem in the scenes where the convicts argue amongst themselves). The novelisation of this episode in fact works better because it doesn't have this problem - also it fleshes out the characters of the convicts a bit more (Croft (Roy Thiennes), a really interesting character was later used in a few of the BG novels not based on the TV series). Solid action, with a fine performance from Dan O'Herlihy and the cute notion of a lot of cloned Britt Eklands.

TV show - "Battlestar Galactica - The Long Patrol" (1978) **1/2

Solid episode where Starbuck test runs a new super fast viper and gets caught up in a primitive world. Again, the Galactica worry that they've lost someone, again the missing pilot's mates go looking for him, again Boxey worries that his dad won't come home (the second week in a row - after losing his mother before then). Enjoyers of non-intended pedophile humour will like the scene where Adama hugs Boxey and tells him about the days when Apollo used to hop into bed with him. OK, that aside this is a pretty good episode, helped by plenty of humour from Dirk Benedict as Starbuck - he tries to get off with both Athena and Cassiopea and even flirts with the flirty voice in his viper, CORA. The idea of a forgotten prison planet is a good one, one capable of sustaining a longer episode - didn't quite believe people would remain prisoners for generations, especially in unlocked gaols, but it works well enough and the humour helps.

TV show - "Battlestar Galatica - The Lost Warrior" (1978) **

First poor episode of BG which has Apollo crash on a planet - something that would become way too common as the series goes on. He finds himself in a rehash of Shane/Hondo, with a lonely widow (his wife only died the previous ep!), her really irritating bloodthirsty son, a township tormented by a villainous crook and his henchman (played by a Cylon, in a nice touch). There's even a repeat of the Shane Elijah Cook death scene. The ep is slow paced with irritating plot holes. Nice shot at the end of the widow and the son talking about Apollo - she has a relaxed smile on her face. Did Apollo get back into the saddle with her?

TV show - "Battlestar Galatica - The Lost Planet of the Gods" (1978) **1/2

Two part episode of the show is actually more like two stand alone episodes - one where the male pilots come down with a virus, forcing the women to become pilots; and one where they discover the lost planet of Kobol. Although it isn't particularly well directed, there is plenty of action and some good performances. Baltar gets a chance to be brave, visiting Kobol alone (he was quite clever, was Baltar). Jane Seymour marries Richard Hatch then is promptly killed, having a nice death scene (which reduced me as a 8 year old to a blubbering wreck). After wiping out most of the human race in the pilot, they went and killed off one of the nicest main characters? No wonder people found the series depressing.